Toccara Montgomery

What can I say about Toccara ... Shes the best !!!! Joey and I met her a couple of years ago at a tournament in Texas .We couldnt figure out why a girl would come to Texas from Ohio to hit a tournament that had nearly all texas girls and was going against a girl that was undefeated (I think for 3 years) ..We had never seen this much commitment from anyone before . Joey went to her tournament and when it was over we went back to see how the high school tournament turned out . They told us that Toccara had beat the girl . Thats was when we realized that she was for real .After talking to her Coach Kip Flanik , we realized that they travel alot trying to find the best competition that they can find . We have seen her wrestle many times at tournaments but havent gotten too many pictures of her because the match is usually over before I can get a good picture of her . She usually dominates so much that its over in the first round . We keep in touch with her and kip to find out what is happining in the world of womens wrestling . When I ask her a few questions here was her reply ....

I ask her why she started wrestling and she said that her coach (Kip Flanik) made an announcement that stated: Any girls or boys that want to wrestle come down after school , she didn't know girls wrestled so she went down to see what it was all about. She stayed with it because, she wanted to be the the best, like all the other girls she had heard about and had been watching on video , but she never thought it would get this big . She has wrestled all over the US and some other countries .Here is what she had to say about her first freestyle tournament .

My very first freestyle tournament I had to wrestle a girl who was #1 in the country and we had a clinic right before the tournament . I remember the head official telling all us girls that we should strive to be as good as she was. I had her first match, of course she tech falled me. After the match Kip told me that if I worked harder , I could beat her. The next time we wrestled it was at world team trials last year, and I Tech falled her and pinned her I just wish I knew who that official was, so I can asked him is this what he meant by being as good as she was. It might have been at this point when I knew that I want to stay wrestling and be the best.

Here is what she had to say what she feels when she loses and when she wins her tournaments . " I think all the competitions that I have been in, have help me to grow tremendously, not only in my wrestling but as a person. I met so many people that support what I do and that makes me feel good that why all my competitions have been good experience, wins and loses.

At first losing was one of the hardest thing for me to deal with. I would lose a match when I first started wrestling and wanted to quit. It hurt so much and it would be everybody's fault but my own, I would be mad at the world. But now If Iose, I know it's nobodies fault but my own, and instead of wanting to quit I want to watch the tape and, work on everything that went wrong, and everything else twice as hard so I want have that problem again."

Toccara has a 9 year little brother who thinks the world of her. He goes to school and tells all his friends about everything she has done and that he can beat her. It hard at school for her because the school and the community don't know much about wrestling. So she don't get as much respect or help from them. Her friends congratulate her and ask why she don't get as much attention as the star female basketball players. She says "I just smile and say I will get mine soon enough." I for one believe what she says .

I ask her what are some of your most memorable tournaments and her accomplishments here is what she had to say ,"I've accomplished a lot. I've won all sort of competitions, like JR. World team trials, and I took second at the JR. world championships, and lots of others. But the one that I will all ways remember is winning is the USGWA National High School Tournaments year. It was my first big tournament ever, 4 months into my career and I took second, everybody told me that it was good for someone who only been wrestling for 4 months, but I wanted to win not do good for just starting off. The next year I took second again it was no excuse, I should have won. This year I was determined to win and that's what I did, it only took me 2 and a half years to do it, but when I did it felt so good. It felt darn good winning Senior Nationals too."

Toccara has the worst luck when she travels .She has the worst luck in airplanes , she said her flights always get canceled or delayed and more than one flight attendant has spilled her drink on her and a lot of the time she can't eat because she is watching her weight, also it seems that there is always a little kid behind her kicking the seat when she just wants to sleep. Driving is no better because the driver always gets lost, which makes them get to weigh -ins way to close. When they finally do get to their final destination they do get out and sight-see a little, that and winning makes the trip all worth it.

Toccara normally practices 6 days a week, 2 hours a day. Most of time she goes to tournaments on the weekends.She is a sports player and will play any sport because she loves competing. But more than anything she loves to play with small children they keep her happy, young, and full of energy. When I ask her what she would tell the younger girls comming up in the sport here is what she said ,"if it's really what you want to do then go ahead and give it your best. What's the since of doing it if you don't want to be the best at it. Be your own person. This is a hard sport, be prepared to work hard. Get you family involved they'll help out a lot. "

Any girl that is a wrestler if you ask them what is their long term goal is they will usually say they want to wrestle in the olympics . The same is toccara's goal but she puts her talent's to workand works hard to achieve that goal and she said that she will wrestle until her body, mind, and soul tell's her that she can't do it anymore. When she is done physically ,she wants to keep it going, by coaching and helping other girls, and the sport grow.I think that of all the wrestlers I have talked to she will be one that I will see in the olympics .She recently beat the female wrestler of the year at nationals to take #1 in her weight and she in only a senior in High School .

If you get a chance you should send Toccara a E-Mail and wish her good luck and if you have any questions I'm sure she will be sure to answer them . I know that Joey and I will be keeping in touch with her .Toccara also said to say thanks to Kip Flanik for everything .

Here is somenews pages about Toccara 1 2 3

Here are some of Toccara's Bigger tournaments Results:

Freestyle list:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

2000 junior world team trials champion,MVP
2000 senior world team trials,2nd place
2000Austrian open first place
2000 Junior worlds in nantes,France second place
2001 canada cup in calgary,canada,third place
2000 sunkist open first place
2001 manitoba open in canada first place
2001Yassar Dogu tournament in Turkey,First place
2001 University nationals first place
2001 SENIOR NATIONALS FIRST PLACE AND MVP!!!!!!!!!!

Folkstyle:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

2001 Caprock champion in Amirillo,Texas
2001 usgwa midwest champion
2001 usgwa ohio champion
2001 usgwa P.A. champion
2001 napa valley champion and MVP in Napa Valley,ca.
2001 USGWA NATIONAL CHAMPION

Jerry Miller 4/30/2001

Home